specific needs of children and elderly left behind as a ... - IOM Moldova

Conclusions and recommendations
pear various diseases, etc. Parents’ migration interrupts the children’s diet
and nutritional balance. Children are poorly and incorrectly fed which
causes the development of diseases. It also increases the risk of unsanitary
conditions in both children and elderly, which also determines the risk
of infections, parasitic diseases, and poisoning. The elderly left behind by
migrant family members do not follow a healthy diet because of loneliness,
depression, shortage of money, etc. As a result, there appears the risk of
developing states of hunger and malnutrition, etc.
Children do not possess the knowledge and there is no one to inform them
about behaviours that pose a risk to their health, about life skills and sex
education. Under these conditions, they substitute this information gap
with discussions with their peers, searching for information on the Internet,
etc., which does not always provide them with correct information. Lack of
knowledge in this sphere is the main cause of sexually transmitted diseases,
undesired pregnancies and abortions that negatively influence children’s reproductive
health. The study identified situations where children have resorted
to surgical abortions without informing and consulting their parents.
The access to medical services, as stipulated by law, is offered for free to all
children and elderly. But research data shows that when children are left in
the care of a minor, they do not know how to deal with or recognize when
their siblings have health problems and consequently cannot act promptly
to health changes of the children in their care, which increases the risk
of developing serious complications and severe diseases. The treatment of
younger sisters/brothers or self-treatment administered by children may
have side effects, complications because of misuse of medicine, including
being poisoned with medicine. Finally, the lack of guardianship for children
makes the access to medical care in case of invasive interventions
impossible. The elderly, especially those living in the rural areas, do not
ask to be examined by medical specialists, which further increases treatment
costs and reduces the possibility of early diagnosis of diseases. The
lonely elderly often cannot call emergency services because they require
permanent supervision. Moreover, there are cases when the elderly, due to
financial support of their children working abroad, have undergone costly
treatments that couldn’t be covered by the medical insurance.
The migration process affects the integrity of migrant families, causing
changes within the family (changes in status and role, lack of care, redefining
family relationships) and between generations.
Money earned by migrants abroad contributes, in most cases, to the improvement
of the family’s financial situation and children’s daily school needs, to
ensure continuation of the education at secondary school and even onto
vocational and university levels. Remittances allow households to be better
equipped, often improving living conditions by means of increasing the con-
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